Men on Boats
by Jaclyn Backhaus
Directed by Emily Moler
Stage Manager: Gillian Lelchuck
Scenic Designer: Elizabeth Barrett
Costume Designer: Zoe Trautman
Lighting Designer: Bryan Ealey
Sound Designer and Composer: Salvador Zamora
Director's Statement:
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"Men on Boats is about the quote “discovery” of the Grand Canyon by John Wesley Powell and his crew in 1869. While the crew members of the historical expedition were cisgender white males, the actors who portray them are exclusively not. Female, trans, nonbinary actors, and performers of color get the opportunity to step into these roles, allowing them to subvert ideas of masculinity, manifest destiny, and American exceptionalism while also getting the opportunity to go on an epic adventure. The play asks questions about ambition, competition, discovery, and who we’ve been told adventure belongs to. This production gives us the opportunity to get dirty, be the biggest versions of ourselves, and carve a space out for everyone in the myth of the west."
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